One solution is European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) which is an EU law adopted in 2022 that requires large companies to disclose standardized sustainability information. Basically, makes these companies disclose if they are sustainable or not. This builds transparency with consumers, the consumers gain better insights into ethical sourcing, labor rights, and environmental impact. But some companies might comply formally without making meaningful changes. This is what we call Greenwashing. It is where a company brands themselves as a sustainable and green company, when they are actually not. A lot of Gen Z consumers are environmentally conscious, so if companies can portray themselves as green and sustainable they gain a large amount of Gen Z consumers. Basically, plans like these often lead towards just a marketing change and not a real policy change.
Nudge Theory(5)
The Nudge Theory is that small changes in choices that are presented to us can significantly influence are decisions. Like making the default option on a clothing website to show eco-friendly fashion or making social norm nudges like saying "a lot of people are buying more sustainable fashion" can really influence people to buy more eco-friendly clothing and stop buying clothing from fast fashion brands. And nudges can guide choices without limiting freedom. It's also certainly cheaper than a widespread marketing campaign. I recommended If you have somebody in your life that is a chronic shopper and buys a lot of fast fashion, try giving them little nudges towards sustainable fashion.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Now you might be thinking "what can I do?" You might say "I'm not a politician that can enforce sustainable business practice," or "I'm not persuasive enough to convince my friends and family." So, what can you do? What I recommended is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Let's start with reduce, it's pretty simple stop buying fashion from fast fashion brands and if you feel the urge remember that fashion trends come and go. Do your research and buy from sustainable fashion brands.
Now let's talks reuse, which is pretty simple reuse the clothes you have. Ask your friend if they would consider trading clothes with. And buy from second hand and thrift shops.
Finally recycle, if you don't like some of your clothes give them away, either to friends or family, to secondhand stores and thrift shops, and even homeless shelters. If you have a hole in your shirt, don't throw it away, sew it up. You might say "But I don't know how to sew," and I would say "YouTube can literally teach you anything." So please reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Come talk about your favorite sustainable fashion brands, secondhand/thrift stores in your area, and generally a place to talk about how to be sustainable and fashionable.